~ Reflections on Life & Art ~An Insight into my World

Tom ~ aged 11 years"I'd like to make a Frog, just like this one, lying on a Lilly pad, with this hands holding an incense stick and wouldn't it be great if we could fit a space for a tea light candle too! It's going to be a gift for my God Mother, so it's really important it looks good! Oh yes, and I need it completed ready for Christmas!"

So when you're confronted with an enthusiasm like that, what can you say other than...'Of course that's possible Tom!'

I must admit, offering pottery tuition always keeps you on your toes. I freely advertise that I like to help people realise any craft project in their mind...I just wasn't expected such a challenging project from an enthusiastic 8 year old!

Tom was a breathe of fresh air to work with right from the start. A young man who clearly has aspirations and clear ideas about what he wants to achieve, with high standards too! So, on the 18th November 2017 we got to work on Tom's 'Froggy Project'.

Over the two weeks Tom learnt 3 ceramic techniques, namely slab building, coiling and modelling. He experienced how clay transforms from raw mud like clay, to leather hard clay (semi-dry with some plasticity, great for fine tuning), air dry (brittle) clay; bisque fired clay cooked to 1060 degrees in my kiln; to the final ceramic form we are used to seeing in shops, robust and beautifully glazed. Now, if that's not an intensive 3 hours of creative play I don't know what is! ​Look at the journey below!

Clay is an amazingly therapeutic material. Because it is so tactile it requires us to use many senses at the same time, focusing the mind and releasing all the thoughts and stresses of the day. You've heard people talk about being in the 'present moment'? Well for many, creating is indeed a form of meditation and especially wonderful because you end up actually producing something physical at the end of it too! Something you have created with your own hands!

If you are interested in learning how to create with clay or make a project become a reality then contact me and I can arrange sessions tailored specifically to your needs. Sessions are £30 per hour with kiln firings £5 each. I can instruct and guide you on many different techniques, combining them to make something beautifully unique and made by your own hands! Just think, if Tom aged 8 years can produce this amazing piece, what could you be capable of?! There's only one way to find out...

"The Voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but by having new eyes" Marcel Proust.

This last quarter of 2016 has seen me concentrating my creative efforts on making Autum leaf jewellery in ceramics. Consequently, I have been foraging in my garden for interesting shaped leaves and appreciating the beautiful colours which unfold before our eyes at this time of year.

These amazing colours and the changes that occur during Autumn conjured a question in my mind...how do the leaves really change colour and why? I remembered a small amount about chlorophyll from studying A level biology but decided to do a more thorough investigation into how these colour changes occur.

Leaf colour comes from three different pigments produced by leaf cells. Thse are chlorophyll for green pigment, crotenoid for yellow, brown and orange pigmnets and anthocyanin for the red pigments. Green and yellow pigments are in the leaves all the time during the growing season, but the green chlorophyll masks everythings else. As the days shorten and lights decreases, trees produce less and less chlorophyll until it eventually breaks down and allows the golden charotenoids to show through.

Not all trees contain anthocyanin, and it's production is particularly affected by good growing condtions. The red pigment I promote in my ceramic leaf jewellery inspried by acer leaves actually enables trees to recover the nutrients in the leaves before they fall. A warm sunny Autumn with cool but not freezing nights means more nutrients in the leaves, and so more athocyanin will be present and visable!

Understanding how certain pigments are always present yet masked by others made me pose the question "what other things in life to do not see because they are masked by others things or indeed masked by our own preconceptions of the world we see"?

I've often wondered how I can be sure that when I see the colour green for example, another person is seeing just the same colour? How can we be sure? We all grow up conditioned to say that grass is green and trees are green, but what is to say that another person is actually seeing them as blue, but has just learnt to call that particular colour or light frequency green instead?

If we were able to live our lives through another persons eyes we could see a very different picture...in fact I'm sure we would. This leads me on to another interesting reflection...does this expalin why certain people are attracted to certain colour combinations in art work and others are not? Is it in fact because they are seeing colours differently to another (the colours may be labelled the same names, but are viewed completely differently)? Consequently they feel certain colour palettes compliment each other better than the ones another person might be seeing through their eyes?

How can any of us really be sure that we are seeing the same in life? Isn't that an intriguing thought? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all train our eyes to REALLY see what is in front of us all the time..and by that I don't just mean physical colour, but beyond, into the truth in people's energetic auric fields....maybe it's time we tried. What a wonderful rainbow filled world we would see...and imagine what it would be like to be able to see all the other light frequencies that our brains are not yet tuned to detect...colours that we can't even begin to imagine!

I'd love to hear about your own refelections and thoughts on the subject so do comment!

Last week, I was fortunate enough to visit Florence for the very first time and savour all the wonderful architecture and art this fragrant city has to offer, at my leisure. Among the places I visited, Jan Fabre's exhibition at the Fort di Belvedere was particularly haunting and left an impression I wish to share..

Before I explain what this is, first a little on the artist's background...

For more than thirty-five years Jan Fabre (1958, Antwerp) has been one of the most innovative and important figures on the international contemporary art scene. As a visual artist, theatre maker and author he has created a highly personal world with its own rules and laws, as well as its own characters, symbols, and recurring motifs. Influenced by research carried out by the entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915), he became fascinated by the world of insects and other creatures at a very young age. In the late seventies, while studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts and Crafts in Antwerp, he explored ways of extending his research to the domain of the human body. His own performances and actions, from 1976 to the present, have been essential to his artistic journey. Jan Fabre’s language involves a variety of materials and is situated in a world of his own, populated by bodies in a balance between the opposites that define natural existence. Metamorphosis is a key concept in any approach to Jan Fabre’s body of thought, in which human and animal life are in constant interaction.

When we approached the Fort di Belvedere I was impressed enough by the rich musty aroma emanating from the stone walls and taken aback by the breathtaking views of Florence. However, what emerged within the walls was a collection of sculpted armour in gold and a performing arts video which I believe Jan was sharing in order to teach us about VULNERABILITY.

The video showed a knight fully armoured, adorning a heavy metal shield, helmet and sword; (I was allowed to capture a short exert below for you to experience).

Instead of the usual prowess and courage we associate with this majestic image, the knight was in turmoil; wavering, stooping, flailing and falling around a stone room. After a short while I felt myself becoming mesmerised by the sense of imprisonment the knight was expressing. Surely he should feel powerful and protected in his coat of armour? So why was the feeling so desperate and fragile?

It struck me that in life we spend most of our time, one way or another trying to protect ourselves. Often the virtual amour we build around us becomes so very heavy and cumbersome that we loose the very thing that gives us the 'edge' in battle and defence - that of fluency, flow and agility!

Of course it's not just physical things such as our home or clothes that we acquire to protect ourselves, it is also the illusive shield we put up to portray a different person to the one we really are...

There is a purity and sweetness in realising this truth, and if one is able to shed ones' armour I believe you allow your Soul to fully bloom in all its potential. Then, you are truly defended against any harm because you have transcended the physical limitations of human life - boundless.

​So a lesson for us all I believe...in order to really live, let you shields fall and then you can truly smell the fragrance of what beautiful life has to offer....

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog, if so, or if you disagree please do comment as I would love to hear what you think!

This month I have been reflecting on what it means to be an 'Artist' with the help of 31 other artists all brought together by Eli Trier. It is proving to be a precious revelation to me, because I am for the first time beginning to feel a level of acceptance in myself about being a creator of things...and really this is all that matters. It's what I can do, and it's what makes me feel at one with something that is larger than me. The process of creation takes me out of my mind and into a realm which I can't really explain, but it feels familiar, safe, peaceful and right. The other strange thing that seems to happen in my art studio when I visit this realm is that time seems to stand still or at least slow down...

This brings me on to the subject of absorption and time...I remember reading a fantastic book entitled 'Making Time' by Steve Taylor explaining why time seems to pass at different speeds and how we can control it. I'm sure you can all relate to the all to familiar mystery of why when sat at your computer time seems to speed up and get consumed by some invisible worm hole! This dilemma made me curious - seriously, why DOES time speed up when I'm doing things that require my attention (so surely I'm present) and yet when I do other things like yoga, meditation or art I seem to achieve so much more in the same length of time...it seems to lengthen or expand!

Steve Taylor helps to explain that certain tasks like sitting in front of the computer or television are so absorbing that we literally loose ourselves and our sense of time while entertained by them. It is in fact not the same as being present - it's more like being lost in another world. Yes, tapped into that task, but at the expense of what is around us. We all know what its like to try and hold a conversation with someone who is using their phone at the same time or watching the TV!

Conversely, when you spend time on a task that requires your complete and utter attention time will appear to slow down. All your senses are heightened and you enter a new plain or dimension.

Recently I went in search of bluebell woods and found myself at Priors Wood near Bristol. A most wonderful carpet of blue appeared in front of me as I turned off the pathway. I decided to sit amongst the blue bells and the serenity prompted me to ponder on this dilemma of time and attention once again..

It suddenly occurred to me that there is something else happening when my absolute attention is required on a task. It's not just about using all my 5 senses to create. It's actually that I dial into something that is larger than myself and in doing so become connected to something that acts as a conduit for inspiration and ideas. THIS is what makes the distinction. When I am writing a blog like now...my mind (brain) is tapped into the task at hand, but relatively my other senses are dulled. Someone could make a sound in the room and I may be aware, but not totally; I may even be unaware of things going on around me.

​This is not the case in the bluebell woods - I am finely tuned in to everything; the bird song and the subtleties of tone; the smell of the undergrowth; the feel of the droplets of rain; the aura of energetic life around me; the whispers of the forest..I even start to recognise feelings within my body as a response to the universal life force surrounding me. My Soul and that of the forests' start to intertwine...

So, art is another conduit for the wonderful connection to universal life force. A place where tranquility allows a sixth sense to reign and ultimately inspire creation. How lucky we are as artists in life (and that means everyone) to dial into this incredible potential! So yes do go and lose yourself in a forest so the universe can send you flashes of inspiration as Walter suggests! Maybe take some paint brushes too or a note pad and see what happens as we are all artists and creators!

I have been asked by the lovely Eli Trier - author of 'The Book of Gratitude' to collaborate with 30 other artists to unveil the mystery behind what it actually means to be an Artist in today's society. Now my first reaction was... 'Gosh I'm not sure I really know what it means to be me, an Artist' ...I'm still working it out for myself!! But what the question has done is forced me to reflect, cogitate, and squeeze out an answer! So here goes...

This week is apt and poignant because 'Prince' - the musician, has recently passed away and he played a huge role in my development through adolescence into adulthood. I used to listen to his music (my many albums and bootleg vinyl copies) in my bedroom growing up. I know it will sound odd (but then I am a little odd), but he was my rudder in life's ocean at the time...

I lived a very quiet life with my parents in the countryside - no friends near-by, just 9 guinea pigs and the fairies in the woods to keep me company at weekends! So being able to go to my room and share my often confused thoughts and emotions with Prince was my saving. Of course he didn't talk back as such, but on another level he did...because his music seemed to tackle the very things that I was toiling with...love, religion, truth, despair, joy, loneliness, loss etc etc. I'm telling you all this because there it is - the thing that makes an Artist and Artist. He shared his Soul with people and projected the essence of who he was through his music to be heard by those who chose to resinate with it...

For this, I will always be truly grateful as he remains one of the most important influencers in my life, he has helped me realise things about myself, to let go of pain, to find joy and learn to navigate life's voyage. Luckily I will still have his music to listen to for years to come..and this is something that all artists (I believe) hope to leave behind - a legacy.

I am still toiling with how I can project my true essence into my art and ultimately leave my own legacy behind. I would SO wish to do this....it's the how that is more tricky. What I'm realising is that the 'how' is all about being authentic; avoiding the pressure to create what society may expect you to create. To avoid the little goblin that sits on my shoulder and says...'but if you make that it may not be sellable, it won't make enough profit margin once the galleries take their cut, or it won't have mass appeal'. It's really hard, because ultimately I need to make a living and want that to be through my art. I've come far enough now to work out that in order to be successful at anything, you really need to LOVE what you do and accept what your natural talents are; Mark Twain quoted:

"The secret to success in life is to make your vacation your vocation".

​Wouldn't this be wonderful! Well art is my vacation, so I need to work out how I can make it my vocation...

In 2014 I decided to start painting again, realising that if it was to be any kind of success it needed to be based on something I felt passionate about. So, loving dance I decided to photograph Salsa dancers and paint from the photographs; often listening to emotive salsa music while painting in my studio I created a 17 piece exhibition which was premiered in Bristol at the Grant Bradley Gallery during November. Over 150 people came to the private viewing - it was a wonderful night. A few pieces sold and continue to sell but soon it was apparent how challenging it really is to keep momentum and consistency with the sale of one's art.

Blips of Arts Trails, Galleries etc keep my motivation alive but I realised along the way that I was succumbing to my little goblin. The tug of war between creating my art because I love expressing whatever is in me, versus making what I feel would sell or be attractive to the general public is every present. I've concluded that the best approach for now is to create a line of work which satisfies the commercial appetite as an income, and then a separate 'Vault' of work which is more unique and distinctive to my own personal expression....notice the influence from Prince here...he has, so say, hundreds and thousands of unreleased songs hidden in a vault at Paisley Park!

This year, my resolution was to put the goblin back under his stone and have a year of 'Play & Revelation'. I have always had a tendency to be a perfectionist - striving for precision, and keeping control. Even years ago, my thesis at university was based on 'The Perfect & The Free' where I explored how we (craftspeople) can use craft making techniques to force ourselves out of this restrictive behaviour and instead create with freedom, spontaneity and abandon. But I still hadn't mastered how to break free...

So, last month I took the largest of my 17 'Salsa Passion' paintings and decided to paint over it. I plugged my music in and painted in rythmn, synchronising the emotive force that welled inside me in response to the present moment. It was a liberating experience. Not just because the Abandon was painted during my divorce and signified a period of personal transformation in my life; but because for one of the first times I felt alive, devoid of fear. My brush glided with ease but furtive intent, I covered my hands with white acrylic paint, feeling the texture and smoothness between my fingers, then to caress and merge wth the canvas.

This is now my new working ethos...to try where I can, to acquire that feeling of freedom and release. Truthfully, it doesn't happen often, I have to put processes in place and create the conditions where it may appear and music often helps. But, at least the intention is set and I hope that with determination the feeling of 'aliveness' will frequent my studio more often as it becomes second nature. Or has it always been second nature? Just forgotten? This is perhaps what Pablo Picasso was talking about when he said:

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up".

So for me, an Artist means becoming a child once again, and in that beautiful naivety having the courage to share your Soul with the ones that wish to receive it...let your playful heart run free and build your courage to be greater than your fear ~ then hope that one day you can leave some kind of wonderful legacy behind...

Every act of construction is an act of destruction.​When you begin a picture, you often make some pretty discoveries. You must be on guard against these. Destroy the thing, do it over several times. In each destroying of a beautiful discovery the artist does not really suppress it, but rather transforms it, condenses it, makes it more substantial. (Pablo Picasso)

​The Artist’s TruthWhen we walk in the woods we see that nature destructs the green leaves to crisp fragile fragments, shadows of their luscious beauty. The clouds destruct and construct in front our eyes; flowers bloom from new buds but only because the energy of the previous flourishing has been allowed to decay giving fertile life to the soil from which the bloom now grows....

Moreover, our relationships form, grow and consolidate only because we surrender a part of ourselves to a greater wholeness. Sometimes we must take courage to allow our personal relationships to destruct in order to make space for a new rejuvenating one in it’s place. This is often a painful process, we fear being alone, never being understood but realise in order to hold companionship we first need to take ourselves apart and destruct our insecurities and sabotage patterns. Only then can we start to construct a new relationship built on a better understanding of our true nature and desires.

We live in a world of cycles, war and peace, political change and society pressures which come and go like the tides. To understand that change is the only certainty in life and only then can we start to librate ourselves. Then the adventure of life can begin, the potential, the hope, the opportunity and transformation.

Art is all about transformation - from idea into form but also from one brush stroke to the next. Each layer of paint destructs the previous, concealing it or changing it’s hue…and in doing so constructs a new visual platter to feast upon. Pablo talks about how an artist can only really produce good work if it is painful. He quotes:

Unless your work gives you trouble, it is no good. (Pablo Picasso)

So here lies the challenge - to unpick the intricate web of insecurities and paint with freedom and surrender, inviting pain and trouble…maybe to find the true artist within.

In 2014 I produced the largest of my paintings to date - a block canvas measuring 100 x 150 cms. It formed part of the ‘Passion Collection’ based on Salsa Dancers and courtship. This particular painting was titled ‘The Abandon’ and was a close up of a female dancer relinquishing control in an embrace with her partner.

So what a perfect opportunity to exercise Pablo’s quote…I wonder what would happen if I took this painting and destructed it? A risk of course that what I construct will not be as pleasing as the original. But, what an exciting prospect? Who knows what will emerge?

I think this will be a liberating experience on all levels…

I plan to map the destruction and construction of ‘The Abandon' (Below) on time lapse video and maybe even publishing the transformation on You tube. In order to be authentic with my inner journey I may also plot it’s transformation over a number of months to see how I respond to painting based on my changing emotional state. Then it will become an organic representation of my inner transformation also. This painting is large (1m x 1.5m) so it's going to a statement either way!

​So, I invite you to join me on a little journey of discovery with 'The Abandon' and it's transformation, I hope you can watch :-) Keep an eye out on my social media platforms and also my Youtube channel. I will start to reveal footage at the beginning of April 2016.​

So the time has come when I review the year and set intention for the new year ahead...a ritual really, something I have done for many years. I don't believe in resolutions as for me life is ever evolving and a new habit has to be woven into life so it may become a way of life and not just a whim for a month as many resolutions turn out to be.

In my previous career I learnt the necessity to understand the 'current reality' and once that picture is painted only then can a 'desired outcome' be primed. The desired outcome by nature should be stretching, something that is only just attainable, yet compelling in it's promise. When these two polars and mapped, then one can plot the 'how'. How will you move from current reality to desired outcome? What are the actions you will take? and what changes need to occur in order to make those actions happen? Is the environment right? Have you got the right people in the right job roles? etc etc. The principle of creating a tension between where you are and where you want to be is essential in gaining momentum and reaching the desired outcome.

Another methodology that can be used at this time of year is a more esoteric one. That of imagining your ultimate goal and visualising you being in that place, doing what you desire, and feeling the feelings associated with having reached your dream. By doing this you emanate positive waves of intention which the 'universe' responds to and mirrors as if you truly believe and feel as if you have already attained your goal and so actions have to follow to match. Quantum Physics says that like attracts like, so what you imagine and feel will be returned to you in a greater quantity.

Let me also explain that there are some caveats here...it's not good enough to hope that your desired outcome will come true. The universe is clever and will detect your misbelief, so you need to truly imagine and believe that you will (already have even) attained your desired outcome; and that's the tricky bit because we all have doubt at times. Even if you managed that part, you also have to surrender the 'how'. It's all very well being so focused on your desired outcome and have all the actions mapped out in order to get there. But, they may not happen they way you predict. So, you have to believe you will attain your desire but at the same time not be attached to how that will come about! A contradiction I here you say!

So to art...and how this can apply. I have toiled and tested with these ideas in the last two years with some success. I haven't cracked it yet, but they key I think may be to have more fun doing it. I have a tendency to try too hard at things, be very focused and seek perfectionism. I believe this can stifle the plan and it goes against the grain when it comes to non attachment!

This is why then I have decided to have a year of Play and Revelation. I am going to have fun, to explore, experiment and get mucky with art!

​Pablo Picasso said:

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up"

So Pablo, I'm going to get in touch with my inner child and paint with surrender and a passionate curiosity. I'm going to enjoy making mistakes, relish in the liberation and just see what appears as a result of letting my playful heart run free on the canvas and clay!

So dear readers, wish me luck and enjoy watching the creations unfold, some finished and some unfinished. Some glimmering potential and some may remain piles of goo but I think it's just something I need to do. Play and reveal who I really am as an artist.

When it boils down to it, I believe it's a simple case of choosing between art that has been manifested from the hands and art that has been manifested from the mind. But I hear you say… “surely all art is made by hand?!” Well yes of course, but there is a purity to those who create with their hands for the sake of creation; without attachment to the idea that their work will be liked, bought or become famous.

​​Those who create in this way do it because it feeds their own Soul and in many cases helps them to survive life. It is a therapy, a retreat, an antidote. Contrastingly, there are those who cleverly see an opportunity in a creative idea and mould it into an end product that people want to own. Often because as it seems…it is ‘of the moment’, ‘fashionable’ or ‘trendy’. Not to say they don’t have ability, of course they do, but it comes more from their mind and their ability to ‘see’ something that will create demand in our commercial and often superficial world.

​You could argue that there is a blending of the two, that art is both from the hand and from the mind, or perhaps what I really mean is the mind is actually the Ego who seeks acceptance, prowess and even fame. But I suspect there is always one that is dominant, hence one that will always shine through in the cold light of day.

​​So as an artist, it’s an interesting question to ask yourself.. ‘so which am I?’

It takes courage to be really truly honest and look at oneself in the mirror and then to be able to live with the answer; and there lies the trick, maybe it doesn’t so much matter which you are..a hands artist or a mind artist, but actually that you are pure and transparent about it…then and only then will a true authenticity impregnate your work for all to see and feel...

It has occurred to me recently that people are increasingly influenced in today’s society about the latest ‘in thing’ whether that is what is fashionable to wear, to buy, to believe or to follow. Why is this? Why do we seem willing, and often unconsciously allow ourselves to follow the pack?!

It starts with just one person…their perception about a thing…they decide whether it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ measuring it against their own set of criteria...​..Then a friend or colleague or follower agrees and shares that decision and perception with their own followers and so it spreads…like the concentric ripples in a lake flowing outward, getting wider and wider from just one single stone that was dropped in the middle!

I suppose we are all creatures of habit and we take comfort in following. So this brings me to my question about art and how we make decisions about whether an artist is ‘good enough’. For those of us with a strong sense of self we are able to choose and base our decisions purely on an intuitive guidance system that we have developed from our younger years. Honing our adult perspective against values learnt. But, for many they are at the mercy of those who seem to hold power and hence sit in positions of authority, saying ‘this artist will be one of the most influential in our century’. So we leap on board to buy their work without a thought as to whether it is actually pleasing to our true nature! We follow the pack.

I know this may seem brash of me to suggest, but I think if you really honestly look at your own drives and desires you will find that you too have been moulded by clever marketing and the opinion of others. So is it right that we are bombarded by evocative images and suggestions that influence our decision making?

I find myself resisting the tendency to follow as it feels like conformity and I like to be differnet. We need to cultivate our own sense of value and follow our own guidance system, not be influenced by the majority. But I wonder what would happen if we all did this? Would there be fewer famous artists because like people are diverse, so are our decisions if we are true to ourselves. Or would we find that there is a collective sense of what really pleases most people? If we didn’t have the framework then would our world become a chaotic mass of separate decisions and perspectives…a tangled web where there was no pattern or congruency? So perhaps it is essential that we follow and form collective groups. Would value not exist if we didn’t follow?

I don’t know the answer but it’s an interesting thought…what percentage of famous artists are famous because of chance, because the right influential person was there at the right time to promote them? Versus what percentage are actually at the heights of their career because of genuine synergy with the appreciation of the human collective?

"I've had a little break from throwing with clay on the Potter's Wheel...until now! and it's amazing to see my emotional development change as a person reflected back to me in this beautiful medium. It's a living thing you see clay...most of us think of it like mud, something dead or discarded...but if you tune into it, it can reveal so much, both on a personal level as well as a creative level..." Sonya 2015

As a student on my Ceramics degree at UWE all those years ago I wrote a thesis about the tension between 'the perfect and the free'. This explained how as an artist we strive to produce beautiful and perfectly formed works but tussle with the knowing that to truly form beautiful things we need to be free in our hearts and minds. We need to loosen our control in both technique and mentality to obtain harmony and congruence with our materials. We need to loose our Egos and create in the present moment.

While re-engaging my relationship with clay and throwing on the Potter's Wheel I stumbled across this video below showing Ken Matsuzaki producing his tea blows in his studio. It memorised me because in him I saw this beautiful freedom and 'satori' (or seeing into one's true nature). He is connected with the clay in an emotional and spiritual level, allowing it to form as a manifestation of his own ability to free himself of constraint or expectation. The clay is a conduit for his life experience and presence at this moment in time...beautiful. This is I'm sure why people are willing to pay the money for his tea bowls....they see the truth and honesty in his work. He is un moved by this commercial demand for his work and instead 'just creates in order to be with the clay'.

This is herein where my destiny lies. To be honest and fearless enough in myself to let the clay form at it's will, my hands there just as a guide. Much like we all need to do with our children - not to hold on too tight or live our dreams through them, but to let them be who they are and grow freely.

My aim is to produce ceramics in congruence with my truth and allow it's own natural beauty to evolve in a timeless moment where we are interconnected...

In contrast, many potters will use technique to manipulate form and believe that this is an equally important restraint. They strive to combine the fluidity and spontaneity of throwing with a controlled approach combing 'the perfect and the free'. Is this really possible? The video below gives you an interesting alternate view and one where aesthetically pleasing vessels are created by Eric Lawrence.

In the time-lapse at the top of the blog I also manipulate the clay into a form which I held in my mind while throwing...perhaps there is a happy medium to be held to, where clay meets design? In converse, while throwing the pieces below I held the intention to keep free and let the clay guide me in the shape that formed organically as the whee turned.

This is the way my work is now evolving - I love the subtlety and uncertainty. The clay goes through transitions of vulnerability while I squeeze the moist bands upwards, I'm never sure if it will collapse or hold to it's evolving form...but in it's fragility I believe beauty is born...

So I would love to hear what you think? Do you prefer the idea of clay being left to organically become the form it desires to be at the guidance of a potter's hands? Or are you appealed to the control, distortion and manipulation of the process?

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Sonya is thrilled to announce that she has been accepted as a provisional member at the Cotswold Craftsmen and will be exhibiting her work at a number of County Shows in 2018 - watch her events page for more upcoming details!

Sonya's newly launched 'Sonoran Vortex' vase collection and stoneware 'Leaf Platters' will be available to purchase through a new online platform called 'Art Offers' in Spring 2018 - just in time for displaying those blossoming flowers!

Sonya blogs about her recent tuition project with Tom - learn how a 'Lilly Pad Frog Incense Holder' was made! Book your own pottery tuition session with Sonya here.

Sonya Launched her 'Sonoran Vessels' collection curated by Satori Galleryat the beginning of August 2017. She is now taking bespoke commissions on this collection by arrangement with Satori.